U.S. patent number 3,883,883 [Application Number 05/399,192] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-13 for remote control device for camera.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Masaharu Ito, Yukio Mashimo, Yozo Sano, Sadahiko Tsuji.
United States Patent |
3,883,883 |
Sano , et al. |
May 13, 1975 |
Remote control device for camera
Abstract
The image pick up optics and the image pick up tube of an image
pick up device, such as a television camera are arranged so that
they are opposed to the eye piece of the view finder of a
photographic camera. The optical axes of the viewfinder and of the
image pick up optics are coaxially aligned. The image pick up
optics includes a distance defining ring which is releasably
coupled to a fixed ring at a position, of the distance defining
ring, in which the image of the object, provided by the image pick
up optics, is formed on the light receiving plane of an image pick
up tube of the image pick up device. A television monitor is
connected to the image pick up device, and a distance defining ring
of the photographic camera is operable by a driving source remotely
controlled from the monitor.
Inventors: |
Sano; Yozo (Fujiwasa-shi,
Kanagawa-ken, JA), Tsuji; Sadahiko (Yokohama,
JA), Mashimo; Yukio (Tokyo, JA), Ito;
Masaharu (Kawasahi-shi, Kanagawa-ken, JA) |
Assignee: |
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
(JA)
|
Family
ID: |
26436547 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/399,192 |
Filed: |
September 20, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
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Sep 22, 1972 [JA] |
|
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47-95300 |
Sep 22, 1972 [JA] |
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47-110317 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
396/374; 396/429;
352/140; 348/345; 348/64 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B
17/38 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G03B
17/38 (20060101); H01j 029/89 () |
Field of
Search: |
;354/75,76,79,195,198,200 ;178/6.7R,7.92 ;352/140
;355/43,37,55,20 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wintercorn; Richard A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McGlew and Tuttle
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A remote control photographing system comprising, in
combination, a photographic camera having a viewfinder optical
system including a photographing lens providing an image of a scene
at a focusing plane; an image pick up device having an image pick
up optical system including a distance adjusting means, for setting
the distance of said image pick up optical system, and having an
image pick up tube including a photosensitive plane for forming an
image of a scene viewed by said image pick up optical system;
displacement means operable to displace said image pick up device
between a first position, in which the optical axis of said image
pick up optical system is aligned with the optical axis of said
viewfinder optical system for viewing of the image in the focusing
plane of said viewfinder optical system, and a second position in
which the optical axis of said image pick up system is out of
alignment with that of said viewfinder optical system for direct
viewing of a scene by said image pick up optical system; locking
means operable to releasably latch said distance adjusting means at
the shortest distance setting in which the image in the focusing
plane of said viewfinder optical system is focused on the
photosensitive plane of said pick up tube with said image pick up
device in said first position; release means operable to release
said locking means responsive to displacement of said image pick up
device to said second position by said displacement means; and a
television monitor connected to said image pick up tube and
operable to display the image formed on said photosensitive plane,
said television monitor including selectively operable operative
means controlling said distance adjusting means and said
displacement means.
2. A remote control photographing system, as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said photographing lens of said viewfinder optical system
of said photographic camera is a zoom lens having a zoom ring; said
television monitor including further selectively operable operative
means controlling said zoom ring.
3. A remote control photographing system, as claimed in claim 2, in
which said zoom lens of said viewfinder optical system includes a
distance adjusting ring for adjusting the distance of said zoom
lens; said television monitor further including selectively
operable operative means controlling said distance adjusting ring
of said zoom lens.
4. A remote control photographing system, as claimed in claim 1, in
which said image pick up optical system includes an image pick up
lens having an entrance pupil; said viewfinder optical system
including an eye point; said entrance pupil, in said first position
of said image pick up device, being located on the optical axis of
said viewfinder optical system with +5mm of said eye point.
5. A remote control photographing system, as claimed in claim 4, in
which said viewfinder optical system includes a condenser lens and
an eye piece, the optics of said image pick up optical system
satisfying the following conditions: ##EQU4## wherein .phi..sub.F
is the size of the image in the viewfinder, f.sub.F the combined
focus distance of the condenser lens and the eye piece, .phi..sub.1
the size of the image to be photographed and f.sub.1 the focus
distance of the image pick up optical system.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control device of a
camera, especially a device with which the image of the object can
be observed by means of a television monitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has already been known to equip a camera with a motorized film
winding up device so as to automate the releasing of the shutter as
well as the winding up of the film in such a manner that the camera
can be remotely controlled. In case the of such already known
cameras, it is possible to remotely control the releasing of the
shutter as well as the winding up of the film and so on fully
automatically, while there are such disadvantages that the
photographing is carried out without knowing what the object is or
a sharp image could not always be obtained when the distance
between the object and the camera is varied.
One of the objects of the present invention is to offer provide a
device with which the image of the object in the view finder can be
observed by means of a television monitor so as to avoid the above
mentioned disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device with
which the image of the object in the view finder can be formed on
the light receiving plane of the image pick up tube by means of an
image pick up optics so as to adjust the focus of the monitor image
automatically.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
device with which the object can be observed directly by means of
the image pick up optics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the remote control device of a camera
according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image pick up optics of FIG.
1.
FIG. 3A is a sectional view of the mechanism to releasably couple
the distance defining ring with the fixed ring.
FIG. 3B is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3A.
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the optical relation between
the view finder optics of the camera and the image pick up optics
of the image pick up device, when the eye point does not coincide
with the angle of incidence.
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the optical relation between
the view finder optics of the camera and the image pick up optics
of the image pick up device, when the eye point coincides with the
angle of incidence.
FIg. 6 graphically illustration the roles of various optics to form
the image of the object on the plane of the image pick up tube.
FIg. 7 is an optical diagram showing the optical path of FIG. 5
concretely.
FIG. 8 is an elevation view of a variation of FIG. 2.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
transmission mechanism to adjust the zoom ring and the distance
defining ring, shown in FIG. 1, by means of a driving source.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will be explained referring to the drawing of
embodiments according to the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows the device according to the present invention as a
whole, wherein 1 is a zoom lens forming the photographing lens of a
single reflex camera 2, 3a is the zoom ring of the zoom lens 1 and
3b is the distance defining ring of the zoom lens 1. On the
periphery of the zoom ring 3a, and on the periphery of the distance
defining ring 3b, respective toothed parts are formed. 4a and 4b
are motors mounted on the support 5, 6a and 6b are respective
reduction gears therefor. Belts 7a and 7b are trained around the
output shafts of reduction gears 6a and 6b, respectively, and also
around the toothed parts of zoom ring 3a and distance defining ring
3b, so that rings 3a and 3b are driven by the respective motors 4a
and 4b. 8 is a motorized winding up unit mounted on the bottom
surface of the camera, 9 is the pentaprism of the view finder
optics of the camera, 10 is the eye piece and 11 is the image pick
up lens of a television camera 12 whose details pertinent to the
present invention are shown in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 2, the lens 11 of the television camera 12 presents the
distance defining ring 13 and the fixed ring 14, whereby the
distance defining ring 13, which is rotated, is displaced along the
optical axis so as to define the distance. 15 is a toothed part
provided on distance defining ring 13, and a geared belt 17 is
trained around toothed part 15 and the output shaft of a motor 16
mounted on television camera 12. 18 is a plate spring fixed on the
distance defining ring 13, whereby the balls 20 and 21 are retained
in a hole 19 provided in distance defining ring 13. On the distance
defining ring 13, the distance scale 23 is provided, whereby the
fixed mark 14', provided on the fixing ring 14 is set at the mark
"C" provided on the distance defining ring 13 when the distance is
defined at the nearest point and the image of the object in the
view finder is focused. At such time, balls 20 and 21 engage in a
hole 22 provided on the fixed ring 14 in such a manner that the
rings 13 and 14 are releasably coupled to each other. 24 is a motor
fixed on a support frame 25 and its speed is reduced by a reduction
gear 26 in such a manner that a member 29, threadedly engaged with
the worm gear 27 fixed on the output shaft of gear 26, is displaced
upwards and downwards.
28 is a movable body formed unitarily with the member 29 and held
and guided along the vertical direction by guide elements 25.sub.1
and 25.sub.2 on the support frame 25. On the distance defining ring
13, a disengagement pin 30 is provided in such a manner the
disengagement pin 30 can engage with an engagement pin 31 provided
on the support frame 25. 32 is a television monitor connected with
the television camera 12.
When, in the above mentioned construction, the camera is set in the
state shown in FIG. 1 while the motor 16 is energized by means of
an operation button on the television monitor 32 so that the
distance defining ring 13 is rotated by belt 17, the distance
defining ring 13 and the fixed ring 14 are releasably coupled to
each other when the balls 20 and 21 fall into the hole 22 provided
on the fixing ring 14, namely, when the mark C is aligned with the
fixed mark 14' on the fixing ring 14. Because the motor 16 is
equipped with a friction transmission mechanism not shown in the
drawing, the motor 16 continues its rotation while the distance
defining ring 13 remains stationary when both rings are releasably
coupled to each other. In the above mentioned state the image of
the object in the view finder of the camera 2 is formed on the
plane of the image pick up tube in the television camera 12 through
the image pick up lens 11 in such a manner that, on the cathode ray
tube of the television monitor 32, the image of the object, at
which the photographing lens 1 of the camera 2 is aimed appears. In
order to observe other objects in the neighborhood of the object at
which the photographing lens 1 is aimed the motor 24 is remotely
energized by a control on the television monitor 32, so as to
displace movable body 28 upwardly. Thus, the television camera 12
is moved upwardly so that the optical axis of the image pick up
lens 11 is displaced out of alignment with the optical axis of the
viewfinder optics of photographic camera 2. Thereby, the television
camera 12 can "view" other objects in the neighborhood of the
object at which photographing lens 1 is aimed, and these other
objects will appear on monitor 32. Thus the background of the
object at which photographing lens 1 is aimed can also be observed.
At the time of the displacement of the movable body 28, the
disengagement pin 30 on the distance defining ring 13 engages with
the fixed pin 31, so that a force is exerted on pin 31 by pin 30.
This force is sufficient to disengage the releasable coupling
between distance defining ring 13 and fixed ring 14, so that balls
20 and 21 are disengaged from hole 22. Consequently, ring 13 can
again be rotated by motor 16 so that it is possible to adjust ring
13, by such rotation, to define the distance between the image pick
up lens 11 and the object to be photographed by rotating ring 13 of
the image pick up lens under remote control from monitor 32.
In case the object caught by the image pick up lens is confirmed to
be the desired object by the observation of the monitor 32, the
photographic angle is defined by rotating the zoom ring in such a
manner that the object caught by the image pick up lens is
contained in the photographic angle, while the movable body 28,
together with television camera 12, is displaced downwardly by
operation of motor 24 under remote control from monitor 32, to
realign the optical axis of image pick up lens 11 with that of the
viewfinder optics of photographic camera 2. Thereby the image of
the object can be observed by means of the monitor when the rings
13 and 14 are releasably coupled with each other. After this the
releasing of the shutter and the winding up of the film in the
camera is carried out by supplying a releasing signal from the
monitor 32.
In case the optics of the image pick up lens 11 is situated on the
plane of the eye piece of camera 2, the operation by the television
monitor becomes remarkably simplified, because the image pick up
lens is releasably held at the position at which the image of the
object in the view finder is focused on the plane of the image pick
up tube so that the image can be focused automatically by controls
at the television monitor. In case the optical axis of the
photographic camera view finder is deviated from that of the image
pick up lens 11, it is possible to photograph the object to be
photographed correctly because other objects in the neighborhood of
the object at which the photographing lens 1 is aimed can be
monitored in such a manner that the desired object can be observed
and caught from the television monitor, which is very advantageous
because wasted photographs can be avoided.
The optical relation between the optics of the view finder shown in
FIG. 1 and those of the image pick up will now be explained
according to FIGS. 4 to 7.
In the case of an view finder of the ordinary camera, the eye point
is usually situated 10 - 20mm behind the eye piece so that the
frame of the eye piece interferes with the front frame of the image
pick up lens 11 in case an ordinary lens is used for picking up an
image.
Consequently it becomes difficult to make the eye point of the
image pick up lens coincide with the eye point of the view finder
so that there is a danger that the light quantity around the image
to be photographed is insufficient, or, in the worst case, a part
of the image is interrupted. FIG. 4 shows the above mentioned
state. In the drawing, 41 is the photographing lens, 42 a movable
mirror, 43 the film, 44 a focusing plate, 45 a condensor lens, 46 a
pentaprism and 47 an eye piece, constituting the optics of the
above mentioned single reflex camera 2. 11 is the image pick up
lens of the television camera attached on the camera 2, and 49 is
the incidence iris of this image pick up lens. P is the eye point
of the eye piece and the above mentioned disadvantage occurs
because the eye point does not coincide with the incidence iris
49.
In case, on the other hand, the focus distance is not chosen in a
proper way, only a part of the image in the view finder, or an
undesired part around the desired image is photographed.
Under such circumstances, the present invention offers also the
following conditions in order that a good picture can be obtained,
whereby there is no danger that the part around the image should be
dark or a part of the image should be interrupted.
1. The incidence iris of the television camera image pick up lens
11 should be situated within .+-. 5mm from the eye point of the
view finder of the camera 2. This is the condition that the light
quantity around the image to be photographed should not be
insufficient and FIG. 5 shows the case when such eye point P
coincides with the incidence iris 49. Hereby (+) means the
direction away from the view finder. Practically the deviation in
the (-) direction can be a little more than 5mm. In case this
condition is not fulfilled, there is a danger that the light
quantity around the image will be short, or a part of the image
will be interrupted.
2. The second condition is as follows according to FIG. 6; ##EQU1##
wherein .phi..sub.F : The size of the image in the view finder.
f.sub.F : Combined focus distance of the eye piece in the view
finder and the condensor lens.
.phi..sub.1 : The size of the image on the image pick up lens.
f.sub.1 : Focus distance of the image pick up lens.
This is the condition in order that the image in the view finder be
photographed in a proper size. However, as it is the perfect
condition, there is no problem in practice in case the deviation is
within .+-. 20 percent. In case further the light flux issuing from
the eye piece is set in an afocal way, the following condition is
satisfied: ##EQU2## so that the total range of the image in the
view finder can be photographed when f.sub.1 is chosen so as to
satisfy the above mentioned conditions in the case the ratio of the
size in vertical direction to that in horizontal direction of the
image in the view finder is same as that of the image to be
photographed. However, due to other subsidary conditions such as
that the light flux emerging from the eye piece is not afocal in
practice, that the ratio of the size in vertical direction to that
in horizontal direction of the image in the view finder is not
exactly the same as that of the image to be photographed and that
informations other than the image are photographed at the same
time, it is sufficient to choose f.sub.1 according to the above
mentioned condition.
The present invention will now be explained according to an
embodiment thereof as shown in FIG. 7.
In FIG. 7:
R D N V ______________________________________ 1 .infin. 1.5 1.493
54.2 2 .infin. 0.2 3 7.5 1.51633 64.1 4 -52.05 2.3 5 .infin. 82.39
1.51633 64.1 6 .infin. 7.45 7 67.954 3.6 1.63854 55.4 8 -26.8664
0.9 1.61293 37.0 9 -235.42 12. 10 9.479 2.9 1.7725 49.6 11 78.642
2.03 12 -18.002 1. 1.71736 29.5 13 9.618 1.79 14 -71.365 2.6
1.62299 582 15 -10.503 0.1 16 12.675 4.6 1.62299 582 17 30.05
______________________________________ R : Radius of curvature on
the refraction plane of lens D : Thickness of lens on the optical
axis or of air gap. N : Index of refraction of lens (with regard to
the d line) V : Abbe's number of the lens.
Let the distance between the eye point of the view finder of the
photographic camera 2 and the incidence iris of the image pick up
lens 11 on the optical axis be 0, so ##EQU3##
Consequently by releasably coupling rings 13 and 14 with each other
the optics of the view finder of the single reflex camera 2 and the
optics of the image pick up device 11 conjointly an optics which
presents the above mentioned optical figures.
Further it is possible to catch objects other than the object at
which the photographing lens aims with various angles in case,
instead of the image pick up lens shown in FIG. 1, an image pick up
lens of a turret system, as shown in FIG. 8, is used and the turret
is operated by a motor controlled from the monitor.
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the transmission mechanism to
adjust the zoom ring, shown in FIG. 1, and the distance defining
ring by means of a driving source. Namely 51, is the ring of the
zoom ring, the distance defining ring and so on, whereby, on the
periphery of the ring 51, a toothed part 51a is formed. 52a and 52b
are levers opposed to each other, whereby the lever 52a is fixed at
both ends, while the lever 52b is rotatably pivoted at one end. 53a
and 53b are rollers respectively pivoted at opposite ends of the
lever 52a, while 54a and 54b are rollers respectively pivotted at
opposite ends of the lever 52b. 55 is a rubber belt trained over
rollers 53a, 53b, 54a and 54b. On the external face of the rubber
belt 55, a toothed part 55a, which has the same pitch as that of
the above mentioned toothed part 51a is formed. 56 is a driving
gear fixed on the driving shaft of the motor 57, whereby the
driving gear 56 is in driving engagement with belt 55 in such a
manner that there is formed a loop in the belt 55. This driving
gear 56 and the motor 57 are displaceable upwards and downwards by
means of a mechanism not shown in the drawing, whereby the lever
52b is rotated in such a manner that the toothed part 55a of the
belt 55 engages with the toothed part 51a of the ring 51, in the
case of the upward displacement, while the toothed part 55a and the
toothed part 51a are disengaged from each other as shown in the
drawing, in the case of the downward displacement. 58 is an
adjusting lever connected between the levers 52a and 52b to adjust
the distance between them, whereby lever 58 is pivotted on the
lever 52a at the one end, an is fixed on the lever 52b by means of
a screw 58a at the other end through a long slot provided in the
lever 58. By loosing the screw 58a the lever 52b becomes
rotatable.
When the motor 57 as well as the driving gear 56 is displaced
downward after loosing the screw 58a in the state shown in the
drawing, the lever 52b is rotated in such a manner that the toothed
part 55a of the belt 55 engages with the toothed part 51a of the
ring 51. When the motor 57 is energized after securing the screw
58a, the ring 51 is rotated through the gear 56 and the belt 55.
When the motor 57 is stopped after a desired rotation, the screw
56a is loosened and the motor 57 and the gear 56 are displaced
upwards, whereupon lever 52b returns to the original position. The
original state is reestablished when the screw 58 is again
secured.
A driving transmission mechanism as mentioned above is very simple
in composition, because, by engaging the toothed part of a body to
be driven such as zoom ring with the concave part of the belt, the
driving power from the motor or the like is transmitted, whereby
the engagement as well as the disengagement of the transmission can
easily be carried out so that the effect in practice is remarkably
large.
* * * * *